WASHINGTON, June 3 (UPI) -- A U.S.-led study has concluded how humans interact with natural processes can influence connectivity at the continental scale.
The researchers said they determined networks of large-scale experiments are needed to predict long-term ecological change.
"We know the world has always been connected via a common atmosphere and the movement of water," said Debra Peters of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. "The world is also becoming highly interconnected through the movement of people and the transport of goods locally to globally.
"Among ecologists, there is an increasing realization that these connections can have profound influences on the long-term dynamics of ecological systems."
The scientists said transport of many types of materials, including gases, minerals and even organisms, can affect natural systems and result in "greenlash," which occurs when environmental changes localized to a small geographic area have far-reaching effects.
The authors suggest long-term studies should also include data from social and behavioral science to allow incorporation of human movement patterns into scientific models to produce more accurate predictions of ecological change.
The study appears in a June special issue of the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment and is also available without charge at http://www.frontiersinecology.org/
